This year there are two significant dates that are important for ongoing discussions on mission and unity. One is the 1,700 years since the formulation of the famous Nicene Creed. The second is the 140 years since the partitioning and colonisation of African countries by seven European powers. On the surface, one might ask if there is a connection between the two events because, after all, one speaks to the unity of the church, while the other speaks to issues around disunity and division of humanity. But as I dig further into the history of the Church, I believe that they are deeply connected.

The Nicene Creed, emerging from the Church Council of Nicaea (AD325), is to be celebrated because it gave us the four markers of the church in One, Holy, Catholic, Apostolic Church. These four markers are important for church unity as they echo the apostolic prayer of Jesus in John 17, when He prayed that the community of believers might be one. 

In a fragmented, fragile and fractured world, unity is crucial, therefore, the celebration of the Nicene Creed gives us a visible symbol and metaphor for unity in our churches. Currently, we have narratives of war, conflict, violence, racism, family dislocation and division in the world. The church needs a counter-cultural narrative of unity, truth, justice, peace and reconciliation to be prophetic in this season.

But the unity needed at this time cannot be ​‘colonial unity’ – the events that led to the formulation of the Nicene Creed also became a catalyst for colonial Christianity that later functioned on uniformity. But the enthronement of Constantine (AD 272 – 337) as the sole emperor of Rome led to the religious freedom of Christians. 

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"The church needs a counter-cultural narrative of unity, truth, justice, peace and reconciliation to be prophetic in this season."

Christians were previously persecuted by former emperors who saw Christianity as a threat to the empire. Christians during the great persecution suffered and many died for their faith. The idea of martyrdom became a mission strategy in spreading Christianity during this period. 

The end of persecution by Constantine led to what I am describing as a Constantinian shift that led to Christianity becoming a powerful religion, ushering in the idea of Christendom of church and state partnership. Consequently, Constantine forged a new Rome with Christianity as the religion of the empire. The church, therefore, went from being on the margins of society to becoming centre stage. In addition, the church went from being under Roman colony to being on the side of colonisers.

The Christendom ideology was perpetuated in most of the Medieval period, so that the close relationship between church and state, which resulted, manifested in different ways in Europe with a powerful Christianity and was exported to other territories claiming land, people, resources and identities in the name of Christ. 

The modern European missionary movement that went to Africa, Asia and Latin America therefore went with a sense of not only bringing Christianity to the natives of those regions but commerce and civilisation. This mission era on the continent of Africa coincided with the partitioning and colonisation of Africa. In a conference running from November 1884 and concluding in February 1885, Otto von Bismark (1815−1889), the chancellor of Germany, convened a meeting of European states and kingdoms to discuss a bloodless co-existence by European powers in their exploitation of Africans and African resources to quench the thirst of their economies, as well as creating new markets for the produces. The ​“bloodless co-existence” did not include African blood, only European blood, as no African tribal leaders or chiefs were in attendance at this conference.

In this new season, mission took a new turn because sometimes it worked closely with colonial officers, clerks and administration and on other occasions, it was separated. The commercialisation of Christianity through European civilisation shaped the missionary enterprise. This was manifested in African Christians thinking like Victorian Christians, speaking like Victorian Christians, behaving like Victorian Christians and definitely looking like Victorian Christians. African Christians being discipled in the image of Victorian Christians led to uniformity. In essence, colonial unity was achieved instead of apostolic unity, which centres on unity and diversity.

As we reflect on these two key events, the church has an opportunity to speak prophetically to a divided polarised society and model apostolic unity that centres diversity. The church also has the opportunity to contribute to ongoing conversations on the theme of decolonisation through how we decolonise the mission the of the church.

To read an extended version of this article entitled Why did Jesus speak Aramaic: A Biblical Theology for a Decolonised Mission click here